If the reports prove true, and Iglesias is indeed sidelined for most of the 2014 season, the Tigers would be left with a giant hole to fill at shortstop.

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus spoke at length Saturday about the quality of in-house candidates who could potentially replace Iglesias, should he be forced to open the season on the disabled list. Hernan Perez, Eugenio Suarez and Danny Worth were all identified as viable replacements.

But Ausmus' postgame comments, in which he hypothesized about potential candidates to replace Iglesias, all were seemingly made under the pretense that Iglesias might only miss a small portion of time -- not the better half of a full season.

If Iglesias is forced to sit out months -- not just days or even weeks -- it would seem as though the Tigers would have no other choice but to seek outside help. And one name that continues to surface as a logical replacement is free-agent shortstop Stephen Drew.

With 16 days remaining until opening day, Drew remains unemployed, yet reportedly has no intention of lowering his current asking price. According to multiple reports, Drew still is seeking a multi-year deal -- one that could pay him upwards of $8 million-plus per year.

And if Drew is unable to find a taker this spring? He is more than willing to hold out until after the June amateur draft, super agent Scott Boras told ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.

By doing so, Drew -- who rejected Boston's qualifying offer this offseason -- would instantly become much more attractive on the free-agent market as any interested team would no longer be forced to forfeit a compensatory draft pick if they signed him.

So, if Iglesias is in fact sidelined for the majority of the season, why wouldn't the Tigers reach out to Boras and sign Drew? It seems like an automatic no-brainer, right?

If the report proves accurate, Dombrowski -- in all likelihood -- would contact Boras, simply in due diligence. However, a significant concern the Tigers might have with the idea of signing Drew is that any such deal now would cost the Tigers a compensatory draft pick.

The Tigers highly value their first-round draft pick, as do the majority of clubs, and are obviously hesitant to forfeit their No. 23 overall pick in order to fill Iglesias' vacant spot.

But perhaps more impeding to the Tigers' willingness to sign Drew is the multi-year deal he's reportedly seeking. It's a significant concern, considering Iglesias is still under team control for four more years, leaving the Tigers in no position to name Drew their starting shortstop through 2015 or possibly beyond.

Then again, as is almost always the case, Tigers owner Mike Ilitch has shown an exceptional willingness to do whatever is necessary for the Tigers to win -- and win now.

Simply put, if Dombrowski and Co. believe signing Drew to a multi-year deal will give the Tigers a greater chance to win a World Series title this year, don't be surprised if Iglesias is not only forced to sit out this year -- but perhaps next year, too.